Chapter 31 I still prefer your younger brother's unruly nature (Happy New Year to all the handsome guys~)
Liu Ziwen was about thirty years old, with an unremarkable appearance. He wore a round fur hat and a gray satin robe, dressed like an ordinary wealthy man.
They are the kind of people who would be inconspicuous if they walked down the street.
Their outstanding demeanor was incomparable to that of Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, who stood out like cranes among chickens in the crowd outside the hall.
However, as soon as Liu Ziwen arrived with a lame servant, he became the focus of attention second only to the county magistrate Ouyang Rong, and was constantly watched by the surrounding gentry and wealthy merchants.
Moreover, there are some people in this world who, even if they meet for the first time, can determine what kind of person someone is with just a glance.
That's exactly what the two of them are like right now.
The young magistrate and the mild-mannered patriarch exchanged glances and immediately sensed a familiarity between them. This familiarity did not come from any previous acquaintance, but rather from... themselves.
Encountering one's own kind... the familiarity of intelligent people.
Before Liu Ziwen even reached Ouyang Rong by a few steps, he bowed respectfully and said, "This humble subject, Liu, greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"
Ouyang Rong stepped forward to greet him warmly, "Lord Liu, you are too kind. You are not a commoner, but a swordsman personally bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress. I should address you as 'Lord'."
Liu Ziwen shook his head and waved his hand, "It's just a nominal title. His Majesty appoints several 'Envoys' every month. There are plenty of lychee envoys, banana envoys, and wood carving envoys in the neighboring Lingnan Circuit. You, magistrate, are a disciple of the Emperor, but I, Liu, am far inferior."
Ouyang Rong smiled and gestured for him to come in, "Let's not argue about that for now, Lord Liu, please come in."
Liu Ziwen immediately straightened his face and said, "I cannot go in yet. I must first apologize to the magistrate."
"Oh? What crime have you committed?"
"I, Liu, have failed in my duty to discipline my younger brother. I have offended you both by talking back to you in the street, causing you both distress. I am guilty!"
"Alas, Lord Liu, you still don't understand me. Your younger brother is very individualistic, lively and active. I quite like his unruly nature. A beating is a sign of affection, a scolding is a sign of love. That day in court, I couldn't control my emotions and accidentally had my men give him a few extra lashes. I hope Lord Liu will forgive me, and I also hope that your younger brother will soon return to his unruly nature."
"..."
Liu Ziwen was speechless for a moment, but he still waved his hand and said sincerely:
"My third brother is alright, thank you for your kindness, Magistrate. However, no matter what, my third brother is still too unruly, and I, as his elder brother, should atone for his sins. I, Liu, have nothing of substance to offer, but since the Magistrate is holding a fundraising banquet today, please allow me to do my part and be the first to donate, to give the Magistrate a good start!"
"Good, Lord Liu is very generous." Ouyang Rong was very pleased.
The surrounding local gentry and wealthy guests cheered enthusiastically, creating a scene of great hospitality.
In this lively atmosphere, the guests and hosts took their seats and the luncheon began. Soon after, the much-anticipated fundraising session began.
...
"...Gentlemen! The construction of water conservancy projects is not a private matter, nor is it for my own personal gain. It concerns all the people of Longcheng County, whether they are scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, or slaves. When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"
"Everyone is aware of the difficulties faced by the imperial court and the county government; Lord Diao should have already conveyed the welfare and rewards offered by the imperial court and the county government to those who actively participate in disaster relief, so I will not repeat them here. Longcheng is in grave danger, and the people are in dire need of help, so let's not waste any more time and begin fundraising. I will take the lead and donate all of my salary for the past four years! Now, I invite everyone to join in."
After Ouyang Rong "said a few words briefly," the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause as he left the stage.
After leaving the platform and sitting down in the first row, the young magistrate turned to the dozen or so local gentry and powerful figures present and gestured with the ink, paper, and red pen in his hand.
He flashed a bright white smile, looking rather embarrassed.
"I have prepared a list, and I will carefully record those who generously donated today..."
Liu Ziwen suddenly stood up and said sincerely, "Your Excellency, I have a humble opinion, but I don't know if I should say it."
“Speak, there’s nothing you can’t say.” Ouyang Rong looked him straight in the eye, appearing very patient.
"I think that in addition to the donation trays for disaster relief and water conservancy, could we add another donation tray on the stage? The magistrate loves the people like his own children. He has been working tirelessly on water management since taking office. We cannot bear to see him suffer, so we hope to offer the magistrate some money for paper and pens. We hope the magistrate will not delay."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and nodded, "It's not impossible, but since it's my personal allowance for paper and pens, I can decide how to use it—whether to give it away or confiscate it. I don't think any of you will have any objections."
Liu Ziwen nodded calmly, "It is perfectly acceptable for you, sir, to be honest and dedicated to public service."
"Alright, thank you all for your kindness." Ouyang Rong said easily, then turned and gestured to the two clerks behind him to fetch another fundraising tray lined with red cloth and place it on the stage.
Anyway, he will use all the money he gets today to control the floods. In addition to the expected minimum of three thousand strings of cash, it would be even better if he could raise more silver. It's just a matter of doing some more favors.
Xie Lingjiang, who was sitting in the second row behind Ouyang Rong, shared similar thoughts.
Seeing Liu Ziwen's flattery of his senior brother, her impression of the Liu family improved slightly. She had previously thought that the entire Liu family of Longcheng were wicked and unscrupulous bullies like Liu Zilin, but now she realized that wasn't entirely true.
Xie Lingjiang was not usually sensitive to matters of money, but now, whether it was due to the influence of Ouyang Rong's constant nagging about the disaster figures or her own innate strong sense of justice, she felt empathy for the refugees.
Xie Lingjiang began to privately pay attention to the price of rice on the streets of Longcheng, and was particularly concerned about the current fundraising event. She was also aware of the great sincere concessions her senior brother had made for this fundraising banquet and his efforts to mediate.
On the evening she first went to the outskirts of the city to look for someone, Ouyang Rong had expressed his disgust for the local gentry and powerful families.
But right now he's sitting calmly in the front row, staring at the two donation trays on the stage, constantly contradicting himself.
So why do it?
Xie Lingjiang silently asked herself if she could swallow her pride. She suddenly remembered something her father had once said.
When someone suddenly abandons something they once cherished, it must be because there's something more important behind it...
Just then, Xie Lingjiang suddenly noticed someone approaching. Looking up, she saw Yan Liulang, whom she hadn't seen for several days. He rushed in from outside, covered in dust. Without even glancing at the whispering gentry and landlords at the back of the hall, he went straight to the senior brother in front and whispered a few words in his ear. The senior brother simply nodded slightly without saying anything.
Yan Liulang, who had just returned from his business trip, waited with his arms crossed, and even turned back to nod to her.
It seems that the grain transport to Jiangzhou is going quite smoothly... Xie Lingjiang nodded in response.
Finally, the two clerks brought a new red cloth tray and placed it on the donation table.
In addition to the donation tray on the stage, there was also a maid who was specifically responsible for registering donations and announcing the donations. This was specially arranged by Ouyang Rong.
With everything ready, the fundraising officially began.
As expected, Liu Ziwen was the first to rise in the hall. He walked straight to the stage, smiling broadly as he took the money from the lame servant, carefully categorizing it and placing it on two plates on the table. Then, he smiled and stepped down. Following his lead, all the other gentry and wealthy merchants in the hall took turns going up to the stage, placing their own plates on the table. From the moment Liu Ziwen began collecting donations, the registration maid on the stage began announcing the amounts donated by each person without fail, ensuring that everyone in the hall could hear how much had been raised.
Then, Xie Lingjiang watched as the smile on Ouyang Rong's lips in the front row gradually disappeared... no, it didn't disappear, it was still smiling—but in her eyes, it was no different from not smiling at all—after listening to the registering maid's "reporting" for a while, he directly put down his pen, compulsively folded the red paper he was going to use to register activists, and then... threw it straight into the trash can at his feet.
Xie Lingjiang knew why, because everyone in the room knew.
The hall, filled with people, was quiet, save for the clear, melodious voice of a maidservant, which lingered like a nightingale's song.
"The Liu family of the west of the city donated ten strings of cash for the Longcheng water conservancy project and fifty strings of cash for the county magistrate's paper and writing expenses..."
"The Cheng family of Xihe donated ten strings of cash for the Longcheng water conservancy project and fifty strings of cash for the county magistrate's paper and writing supplies..."
"The Li family of Chengnan donated ten strings of cash to the Longcheng irrigation project and fifty strings of cash to cover the county magistrate's paper and writing expenses..."
"The Gongsun clan of Dingshan donated ten strings of cash for the Longcheng water conservancy project and fifty strings of cash for the county magistrate's paper and writing materials..."
On stage,
Each household donated a uniform amount.
The recitations were all in unison.
Below the stage,
The bully smiled.
The scholar smiled as well.
I'm here! Didn't sleep, late but here! Updating as usual during the New Year, no rest. Happy New Year, my good brothers!
(End of this chapter)
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